AN Osun State Magistrate’s court, sitting in Osogbo, on Wednesday, sentenced a 22-year-old herdsman, Mohamodu Zuberu, to four years imprisonment for kidnapping a teenager.
Zuberu was accused of kidnapping a 13-year-old boy, Tunde Abdullahi, at Iwari village via Ikoyi in the state.
He was earlier arraigned and remanded on September 3, 2020, on a count charge of kidnapping after pleading guilty.
The Police accused Zuberu of commiting the offence on August 21, 2020 at about 3am while pasturing his flock.
When the matter came up on Wednesday for hearing, the prosecutor informed the court that Zuberu after kidnapping the boy, requested for the sum of N2 million as ransom to release the victim.
He was said to have later reduced it to N350,000 upon persuasion by the victim’s family before the Police arrested him.
The charge sheet reads: “That you Mohamodu Zuberu on 21st of August 2020 at about 3:00am at Iwari village via Ikoyi in the Ikoyi Magisterial District, triable in the Osogbo Magisterial District, did unlawfully kidnap one Tunde Abdullahi to an unknown destination in such manner as to prevent any person entitled to have access to him from discovering the place he was imprisoned thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 364(2) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol ll Law of Osun State 2002.”
The convict, who had no legal representation, admitted guilt to a count charge of kidnapping preferred against him.
While furnishing the court with the facts of the matter, the police prosecutor tendered a torch, phone, and pullover cloth as exhibits.
Magisterate Opeyemi Badmus, after listening to the fact given by the police and the admittance of guilt by Zuberu, found him guilty as charged and convicted him accordingly.
Badmus sentenced Zuberu to four years imprisonment with hard labour in Ilesa correctional center.
